


Weight on the Scale

by PrincexPhoenix



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24570868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincexPhoenix/pseuds/PrincexPhoenix
Summary: Armitage Hux knew the ins and outs of his ship. Nothing escaped his notice, especially not changes in routines or personnel. Not until Supreme Leader Palpatine's granddaughter, the Empress Rey, appeared. One ship crash later, and Hux's entire world started to come apart.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14
Collections: Fandom 5K 2020





	Weight on the Scale

**Author's Note:**

  * For [firelord65](https://archiveofourown.org/users/firelord65/gifts).



> The title comes from a quote by Arthur Conan Doyle's The Stark Munro Letters. In its entirety, it reads:
> 
> "I should dearly love that the world should be ever so little better for my presence. Even on this small stage we have our two sides, and something might be done by throwing all one's weight on the scale of breadth, tolerance, charity, temperance, peace, and kindliness to man and beast. We can't all strike very big blows, and even the little ones count for something."
> 
> I hope you enjoy this fic, firelord65!

Armitage Hux knew the ins and outs of his ship. Nothing escaped his notice, especially not changes in routines or personnel. He stared down at the faces in front of him with disapproval, noting the way that they squirmed under his gaze. He allowed himself a smile and leaned forward.

“So,” he said, lowering his voice as if they were all confidants. “What happened?”

The man to his left shifted and Hux pinned him with a glare. He started to stutter, his hands shaking, and Hux sneered at him.

“Let me tell you what happened,” he said. “You thought that it would be a good idea to try and change course without asking me, after you took a shift from someone else, right?”

The man opened his mouth and Hux kept talking. The woman next to Hux’s victim punched the man in the shoulder, and he shut his mouth, his shoulders hunching around his ears.

“So you’ve been working beyond regulation, and you’re tired. You decide that you know more about the ship than all of the navigators aboard this ship, who consult with me before they make any changes, and you changed the course of the ship. Is that right?”

The man looked to the woman, wide eyed. She nodded and he turned to Hux, trying to smile. It wavered and the man looked down at his feet.

“Sir, there was a meteor, and we were headed straight for it,” he said, his voice shaking. “I was just-”

“Just taking things into your own hands?” Hux interrupted. “So you think you know more than me, then? I set our course, and I’m the only one that sets our course. Is. That. Clear?” 

He leaned forward with each word, until he was centimetres from the man’s face. The blood drained out of the man’s face, leaving him pale white. The woman rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, dragging him to her side. He half hid behind her as she looked at Hux and nodded stiffly.

“It won’t happen again, Allegiant General,” she said, bowing at the waist.

The man followed suit hurriedly, and Hux turned on his heel and waved his hand.

“See that he doesn’t,” he said, losing his sharp tone as he lost focus.

Walking towards them was Kylo Ren, and Hux looked around for a place to hide. The visored head turned towards him and, resigned, Hux stood still while the two officers hurried away, the man whispering something to the woman. They rounded the corner as Kylo approached, stopping a few feet away from Hux.

“Allegiant General,” he said, the helmet distorting his voice. “Supreme Leader Palpatine wishes to speak with us.”

Hux frowned. “I can’t right now,” he said, turning on his heel again and heading towards the bridge. After a long pause, Kylo started to follow, and Hux sighed. “I’m busy,” he snapped. “We’re off course, because of someone’s idiocy, and I need to correct that, as well as a million other things, so if you don’t mind, leave me alone.”

They neared the bridge and Kylo held out his hand. It hovered in the air, an inch away from Hux. “Supreme Leader Palpatine is the First Order, Allegiant General. You are not.”

Hux slapped Kylo’s hand away and adjusted his jacket’s collar. “I know that,” he bit out. He paused, and then, fuelled by spite, said, “Neither are you.”

Kylo’s expression was hidden by the helmet styled after Darth Vader’s, but there was a stiffening of his body, a curl of his fist, that broadcasted his emotions as easily as a scowl could. Hux smirked and brushed past Kylo, walking onto the bridge. There was a flurry of activity as the entire bridge stood and saluted. Hux savoured the sight before nodding and lifting his hand. The officers and pilots sat again, resuming their normal activity, and Hux put his hands on the rails of his command deck.

“Allegiant General,” a voice said, and Hux looked down to his left. A young woman stood there, her eyes sharp and nervous. They kept flicking to Kylo, who stood beside Hux, and a bead of sweat ran down her face. “We’ve received credible intelligence that there are rebels on a nearby planet. A two person patrol, although that is contested.”

“Two people?” Hux said, rolling his eyes. “Let them. We have bigger Resistance targets to deal with.”

The bridge shimmered, and then a hologram appeared. Palpatine’s hooded face stared down at Hux and Kylo, cold fury radiating off of it. Kylo and the rest of the bridge took a knee immediately, and Hux followed suit, never breaking eye contact with his Supreme Leader.

“Allegiant General, I do not like to be kept waiting,” Palpatine rasped, his visage flickering. “You were meant to report to me ten minutes ago.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” Kylo said, looking sidelong at Hux. “Forgive us. The Allegiant General thought that there were more important things to attend to than following orders. Like the existence of a two rebel patrol.”

“Silence,” Palpatine hissed, and Kylo was still. “Allegiant General, when I say that I wish to speak to you, I expect you to answer my call without any delay. Is that clear?”

“It is,” Hux said, keeping his eyes on the ground. Internally, he fumed; how dare Palpatine appear on the bridge, of all places, to make Hux look like a fool? He could almost hear the whispers of the crew, speaking of how he looked like a child. His face burned as he thought of his father, and the dismissive, cruel strikes of his hand. “I apologise, Supreme Leader. It was not my intention to ignore any of your orders. I only thought-”

“You think what I tell you to think, Allegiant General,” Palpatine said, his voice soft, smooth, and filled with unbridled malice. “So long as we’re clear on that, we will have no need to speak of this any further. Now. Contact me at once.”

The hologram distorted itself before disappearing. Hux stood and shook out his coat before sweeping out of the bridge, not sparing Kylo a glance.

It was clear, then, to himself and everyone, that he would never amount to anything more than an errant child to be scolded.

* * *

Hux knelt before the hologram of Palpatine, his eyes on the floor. There was a small crack in it, and he focused on the imperfection, following its path to the feet of the newcomer to his ship. A woman stood in front of the hologram, her hand on her hip, looking up at Palpatine’s face. Her brown hair was cut short, longer on the top than the sides, and it artfully fell into her eyes. They were brown too. She was dressed in a sweeping black cloak, her hood down. She looked over at him, and their eyes met for an instant.

“Allegiant General Hux, Commander Kylo Ren, this is my granddaughter, and the heir to our empire,” Palpatine’s hologram said, gesturing to the woman. “Empress Rey Palpatine.”

She tilted her head, looking over them. “Hello,” she said.

Her voice was surprisingly soft and gentle. Hux looked over at Kylo out of the corner of his eye. Kylo’s helmet was off, revealing that he was staring straight at Palpatine. There was a flicker of movement as he looked over at Hux and raised an eyebrow, almost imperceptible.

“You have concerns?” Palpatine asked, and the air grew heavy.

Hux tugged at his collar and fought for breath. Sweat trickled down his neck, seeping into the heavy fibres of his coat, and he forced a smile on his face. “Not at all, Supreme Leader,” he said. “In fact, I welcome the Empress aboard our ship.”

“How kind of you,” Rey said, and though her voice was without inflection, her eyes sparkled with mischief. “I look forward to seeing your ship, and assisting in the defeat of the Rebellion,” she added, her hand moving to the lightsaber attached to her belt. 

“This will be Rey’s first command,” Palpatine said, and all attention was drawn back to him. “She is to learn from you both, Allegiant General Hux and Commander Ren. And she will eventually take command of this ship, and the mission to defeat the Rebellion.”

“Supreme Leader?” Hux said, his jaw slack.

“Our victory is close at hand, Allegiant General,” Palpatine said, his smile stretching too far along his face. “It is time that my granddaughter, your Empress, takes control of her fleet. And what better way to cement herself in history than by destroying what remains of the paltry rebellion?”

Rey shifted from foot to foot but said nothing. She was studying Hux, her eyes running over him, and he felt no remorse in studying her back. If it came down to a fight, the lightsaber would run him through with little to no resistance. But if she was lacking it, Hux thought he would be able to dispose of her. The thought of it made him uneasy, and he looked away first. There was a small exhale, and when he looked back at Palpatine, Rey was standing a bit straighter, her shoulders eased from her ears.

“We are honoured to be serving with her,” Kylo said, breaking the silence.

“For her,” Palpatine corrected, and the words cut a long wound in Hux’s heart. “You and the other Knights, Commander Ren, are to protect my granddaughter from harm.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” Kylo said, bowing his head.

His hand tightened into a fist, and Hux never felt such empathy for Kylo as he did in this moment.

“You are dismissed, Allegiant General, my granddaughter,” Palpatine said. “Allow me to speak to Commander Kylo alone.”

Hux stood, giving Kylo a sympathetic glance, before he extended his hand to Rey. “Shall I show you around the ship, my Empress?”

“Nothing would please me more,” Rey said, stepping around Kylo to take his hand. She directed a smile at him, and Hux looked away, making sure his face was arranged in a frown. They left the room, and the doors shut behind them.

* * *

“So why did you put the brig here?” Rey asked, craning to look over Hux’s shoulder. She was standing on her toes, and Hux huffed before moving to the side to allow her more room. She smiled at him.

She really was too quick to smile, Hux thought, and grimaced.

“I didn’t design the damned thing,” he snapped. The smile fell from her face and Hux mentally cursed. “But I’m sure whoever did thought it would be prudent to put the prisoners as far away from the main operations of the ship as possible,” he continued. “It’s never been an issue before, and I don’t think it’ll be one in the future.”

“Is that because you’ve never caught any?” she asked, smirking at him. “The great Allegiant General I’ve heard my grandfather speak so much about, and he’s never captured a single prisoner.”

Hux bared his teeth in what, if pressed, he could claim was a genial smile. “That’s because the First Order doesn’t take prisoners, Empress.”

He turned from the brig and swept down the hall. Rey took a moment to catch up with him, her expression guarded. They continued, Hux pointing out anything of note, and Rey was silent until they passed nearby his quarters. She gasped and ran to the large windows outside of his door. He leaned against the wall and watched her.

“You get to see this every day?” she said, turning to look back at him.

“Yes,” he said, lifting an eyebrow. “I see space every day. I live in space.”

She frowned at him before turning back to the glass, all but pressing her face against the window. Hux let her for another few minutes before clearing his throat.

“We have a lot to get through, Empress,” he said. “If you don’t mind…” He gestured further down the hall.

Rey peeled herself away from the window, trailing her fingertips along it for a few steps before nodding. They resumed walking, passing through the armory and the barracks until they wound up at the bridge. Hux half-bowed and swept his arm in front of him.

“Empress,” he said, clamping down on his frustration with an iron grip, “your bridge awaits.”

Rey walked through and the bridge snapped to attention. There were a few whispers and Hux walked in, piercing the speakers with a glare. The whispers quieted as the officers hovered half out of their chairs, glancing at each other. Hux lashed out, his voice cracking like a whip.

“Are you all blind?” He put a hand on Rey’s shoulder. “Stand and bow to your Empress!”

Everyone on the bridge hurried to their feet and bent at the waist. Rey put her hands on the railing and leaned over, peering down at them.

“You know,” she said to Hux in a stage whisper, “this really isn’t necessary.”

“Yes,” Hux said through gritted teeth, “it is.”

One officer straightened and cleared their throat. “Allegiant General Hux,” he said, and his eyes darted over to Rey. “Empress,” he said after a long pause. “We have new reports. There are rebels attacking our outposts on the planet below.”

“Rebels?” Rey said, and her hand rested on her lightsaber. “From the Resistance?”

“Yes, Empress,” the officer said, bowing his head.

“We should go and destroy them,” Kylo said, and Hux jumped. Kylo walked into the bridge, standing beside Rey, one hand on the railing, the other holding his lightsaber. Sparks flew from the hilt, and Rey took a step away. “If they’re going to be so foolish as to attack us, then we should put them down once and for all, like the animals that they are.”

His helmet was back, lending a dark, deep quality to his voice. His hand tightened around his lightsaber and he looked down at Rey. Compared to him, she was a slight figure, lacking his brute strength. Hux examined them and wondered if it would get traced back to him or not if he let them kill each other.

“My thoughts exactly,” Rey said, recovering enough to take a step away from Kylo and turn to the bridge. “Prepare my ship,” she said, her blue eyes sparkling. “I’ll be leaving at once.”

* * *

Hux walked along the hall towards the bay and paused, looking to his left. Kylo Ren fell into pace with him, his helmet in his hand, a contemplative look in his eye. Hux stopped and Kylo took a few more steps before stopping as well. Hux spoke to his back, scowling.

“What is it?”

“What do you think of the Empress?” Kylo asked, staring into the visor of his helmet. 

No doubt, Hux thought snidely, having a conversation with his idealised version of his grandfather.

“I think such questions are beneath you, Commander,” Hux responded, staring at the way Kylo’s hair curled down to his shoulders. “You know as well as I do that Supreme Leader Palpatine is the First Order. Therefore, his granddaughter will be the First Order. We are to do our duty and obey.”

Kylo cracked his neck and looked over his shoulder at Hux. “Is that what your father trained you to say?” he asked, keeping his tone bland and disinterested.

Hux struck quickly, slamming Kylo against the wall, his fists balled in the cloak that Kylo always wore. “What did you say?” he asked, his eyes flashing. “You have some nerve, you piece of shit-”

“Do you always lose your cool when your father is mentioned?” Kylo asked, lifting an eyebrow as Hux gaped, his breath stolen from him. He fell to his knees as Kylo stepped around him, continuing as if nothing happened. “I can’t believe that you don’t feel some resentment at having your authority usurped by an upstart who has no idea how the world works,” Kylo mused.

Hux coughed, and then gasped in air, his hands on his throat. Tears stung the corners of his eyes as his lungs reinflated, and he panted, glaring at the ground. He turned his glare to Kylo, who examined the hilt of his lightsaber, turning it one way, and then the next.

“I know I do,” Kylo said, meeting Hux’s eyes. “She thinks she can waltz in and take control, and everyone will listen to her?”

“So what if I do?” Hux said, his eyes red-rimmed as he wiped them and got back to his feet. He swayed and caught himself, putting his hand on the wall. “And how dare you attack me?” he snarled.

“You started it,” Kylo pointed out, walking in a tight circle around Hux. “The Empress isn’t just here to lead this mission, Allegiant General. She is here to take control of the military, the space fleet, the force soldiers, and the Storm Troopers. In simpler terms, that even you could understand, she’s here to take your position.”

Hux stiffened, his eyes opening wide and the colour draining from his face. Kylo looked at ease, continuing to pace around Hux in an ever tightening circle. Their shoulders brushed and Kylo looked up, the beginnings of a smile on his face. A lassitude settled over Hux, and his fist opened.

“You’re going to look over the Empress’ ship, and you’re going to find an issue with it,” Kylo said, his hand moving in a slow arc. “When you see the issue, you’re going to let it go.”

“Let it go,” Hux said, his eyes glazed over. 

“Good,” Kylo said, and flicked his wrist.

Hux blinked and rubbed his eyes. He looked around before fixing Kylo with another glare. He curled his lip and brushed by Kylo, bumping their shoulders before rounding the corner, resuming his journey towards the ship’s bay. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that something was wrong, but he couldn’t put his finger on it, and it slipped away like sand through an hourglass.

* * *

“This is your ship,” Hux proclaimed, sweeping his hand in a grand gesture.

It was a sleek, black TIE bomber with flat, solar-panelled wings and opaque windows. Hux looked it over, frowning at nonexistent scratches on the paint. Rey looked up at it, her brown eyes impassive. Hux watched her walk forward and run her hand along the side of the ship. A slow smile broke out over her face and she turned on her heel to rest her back against the ship.

“But what’s wrong with mine?” she asked, looking back at it. 

Hux followed her eyes to a decrepit looking ship. Rust built up around the edges of the wings, and one of the BB9 drones looked down away from it, its antenna drooping. He snorted and jerked his head towards the bomber. 

“It’s only the finest for our Empress,” he said, walking towards the bomber himself. He put a hand on it, appreciating the cool of the metal underneath his palm. “We couldn’t have you fly away in that piece of scrap. It looks like it was pulled out of a bygone era. I will be checking over this ship myself.”

“Of course,” Kylo said from the shadows, “if you prefer, Empress Rey, you are welcome to fly in…” He paused and gave her ship a disparaging look. “Well, what you would call a perfectly serviceable ship, I suppose. It did get you this far, after all.”

“It was one my grandfather used, once,” Rey said, smiling at her ship before taking a step towards the bomber. Her hand rested a mere centimetre away from Hux’s and he felt his face warm again. “But I’ll never say no to an upgrade. Do I get a passenger?”

“No,” Hux said.

“No,” Kylo said at the same time. 

Hux glared at him before motioning to one of the ground crew. The bomber’s boarding ramp lowered, and Hux climbed aboard, Rey close behind him. It sealed behind them and Hux turned towards it with a frown. He almost spoke before pausing, the thought slipping from his mind as he caught the way that Rey was gaping at the controls. A flash of pride blew through him and he swaggered over, caressing the leather of the pilot’s seat.

“My father’s,” he said, the pride he was feeling leaching out into his voice. “Well, one of the ships of which he oversaw construction. He was a commander in the First Order.”

“You sound like you’re proud of him,” Rey said, sitting in the pilot’s seat. She squirmed and grabbed the controls. “Where is he?”

Hux’s smile faded and he folded his arms behind his back. “Dead,” he said, and Rey grimaced. 

He turned around before she could say anything else and walked towards the back of the ship. The sounds of Rey’s muttering and fiddling with the controls followed him, and he allowed himself to smile again as he looked over the wiring. He paused over a small scratch in the metal, his fingertips catching on its jagged edges. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth as he bit his lip, breaking the delicate skin there. It was as if no time had passed, and he could see himself running through the ship, laughing, when his father wasn’t around. His hand went in his pocket, running over the hilt of a knife, and he pulled it out and placed the blade against the scratch. It fit perfectly.

“Allegiant General,” Rey called, and Hux pocketed his knife and straightened. “We’re getting the all clear to launch. Are you coming?”

“No,” he said, scowling at the scratch. “I’m getting off this wretched thing.”

“Wretched?” Rey said, but her words were lost to him.

He stared down at a panel of metal that was stuck to the other panels at an odd angle. He tilted his head one way, and then the other, catching the sparking light of a faulty wire behind it. His knees creaked as he knelt and pried the panel free. Almost as if moved by someone else, he reached out and touched the rubber casing of the wire. It sparked and he twitched, pulling it free of the others. It slid from his fingers as his eyes cleared and he straightened, nudging the panel back with his foot.

The ship started to levitate, and then shot forward with a burst of speed. Hux slammed against the wall behind him and cursed. There was a screech of sound and then he was slammed into the floor, which was once the ceiling. He grabbed onto the panelling, gritting his teeth.

“Empress,” he shouted, and the ship righted itself. He landed on his feet and groaned at the shock of force that rattled his bones. There was a long silence before Rey’s voice came from the cockpit, sounding almost guilty.

Almost.

“Allegiant General?”

* * *

“I told you, I’m sorry, but we can’t turn around _now_ ,” Rey said, her eyes locked on the window before her. 

Hux grit his teeth and stared out the window as well. The ship that they were chasing was an X-Wing, of all things. It was nimble, dodging Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer and the other TIE Fighters deployed by the Starkiller. There was an asteroid field ahead, and Hux’s knuckles turned white on the back of Rey’s chair.

“You have to,” Hux said, turning the full force of his glare on Rey. It was a glare that scared lesser men and women and anything else in between. 

Rey flicked him a glance and smiled. It was full of mischief, and Hux felt his drastically shortened fuse burn to nothing.

“I am the Allegiant General of the First Order,” he said, drawing himself to his full height. “I order you to turn around and head back to the Starkiller base this instant.”

“Yeah, that’s not happening. Empress and all,” Rey said, and swerved to the left as the X-Wing made a dash for freedom. Hux slammed into the wall again as she continued, firing laser after laser. “I’ve almost got this one. They’re tricky, and hard to centre on - there!”

She fired again, and Hux watched the right engine of the X-Wing burst into flames. It careened down towards the planet, and as he watched, it disappeared beneath the clouds. Rey whooped, and he clung to the chair as she did a barrel roll of triumph. When the ship - and his stomach - righted itself, he gifted her with a shaky nod and a show of shaking out his coat.

“Yes, yes, well done,” he said, averting his gaze and coughing. 

Rey grinned at him. “I’m the best pilot on Exegol.”

“Quite.” Hux sat in the other chair and nodded once. There were various aches and pains he would have to address later, he thought as he rolled his shoulder. “Now, Empress, if you please. I have business to attend to on the Starkiller, and your kidnapping attempts aside, I really must insist that we head back.”

“Why, Allegiant General, if I didn’t know any better, I’d almost say you made a joke,” Rey said with an ever widening smile. 

Hux grunted and buckled himself in, pulling the straps tight. Rey fiddled with the controls for a moment before turning the ship towards the Starkiller. A red light started flashing above Hux’s head and in front of his eyes. He shielded them and looked over towards Rey. The smile was gone from her face and she was punching at the controls, her movements growing more desperate with each passing flash of the light.

“What’s going on?” Hux said as a siren started going off. The nose of the ship started pointing down towards the planet and his knuckles turned white as he dug his nails into the arms of the chair. “Empress?”

“I don’t know!” Rey looked over at him and back at the controls. “It’s not responding to anything I’m doing! Come on, you piece of scrap metal!”

She punched the centre console and it fractured under her hand. Her eyes widened and she leaned back. They both watched the sparks of electricity run across the ruined machinery before the ship started free-falling towards the planet. Hux yelled and closed his eyes.

“Rey! Do something!” he shouted, and then all he could hear was the screeching of metal as it entered the atmosphere and burned. There was a sudden jerk, and everything seemed to slow a fraction. Hux waited for a moment before opening one eye, dreading what he would see.

Rey had her hands raised and her eyes closed. A bead of sweat ran down her face as she breathed. Her hands shook and Hux looked down at the window. They were still rocketing towards the ground, a screaming hunk of metal and wiring, but she was slowing their progress. 

“The Force,” Hux whispered, and his eyes grew wide. Rey was slowing down an entire TIE Bomber, he thought. How much power did she have?

Sweat was pouring down her now, and she was panting. Her hands shook so much that they seemed to blur. Hux looked back down at the window and paled. They were still going too fast, and the ground was racing up at them.

“Empress,” he said, and reached out towards her right as they slammed into the sand, and everything became black.

* * *

_Smoke._

_His father sat at the table, a cigar clamped between his teeth as he leafed through a report. Hux watched him from the floor, wide eyed, his hand creeping towards one of the discarded pages. As his fingers grazed the edge of it, his father’s hand tightened around his wrist, knuckles turning white with bruising strength. Hux whimpered, looking down at his feet, his heart pounding in his ears. It was so loud he almost missed his father’s words._

_Almost._

_“Boy. You weren’t thinking that you were better than you are, were you?”_

_His father’s tone was so calm, it could have been a normal conversation. He could have been asking about the weather, or if Hux had managed to conquer that maths problem that was plaguing him. It could even have been what Hux wanted to have for dinner. Instead, his father’s lips were a grim, gaunt line, and his eyes smouldered like the embers dangling from the end of his cigar._

_“No, father,” Hux said, and pulled at his wrist. “I was just curious, I promise.”_

_His father snorted and released him. “You’re not fit to lick the dirt from my boots. Neither was your slut of a mother,” he said with a sneer. With a practiced air, he took the cigar from his lips and placed the burnt end on Hux’s hand._

_Hux howled, twisting his body and kicking against the ground. His father hung on and watched him with cold blue eyes. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and his nose wrinkled._

_“You have been nothing but a disappointment to me since your mother gave birth to you,” Hux’s father said, and then paused. “Even before. You’ve been letting me down since you were conceived, you miserable excuse for a child.” He removed the cigar and Hux gasped, tears pouring down his face, as he babbled meaningless words of gratitude._

_“Father, thank you, thank you, It hurt, thank you-”_

_“Shut up!” Hux’s father backhanded him across the face. “Don’t speak unless I speak to you, worthless trash. You are nothing without me, do you understand? Nothing!”_

_Hux lifted his head and stared at him, unable to hide his anger. His father studied him and nodded. He eased back and removed the cigar from Hux’s skin, placing it back in between his lips as he lifted the file, shielding his face._

_“Now get back to your corner, Armitage.”_

_Hux retreated to the corner of the room his father pointed to, and curled into a ball, his knees to his chest. His father resumed reading the report, smoke drifting from his mouth in a thick cloud. Hux balled his small fists and fantasised about pushing that cigar into his father’s eye._

Hux woke up, a burning coming from his hand. He opened his eyes and was greeted with the sight of burning wreckage. He coughed before checking himself for any wounds. There was a cut above his left eyebrow that was seared shut by the heat, and he fumbled with the belt around his waist. The metal burned his hands and he swore. It released and he forced himself free, pushing against the window with his foot. It resisted, and he kicked it with all the force he could muster. A crack spread from the sole of his foot and he fell back, gasping for air.

He looked around and stopped. Rey was seated next to him, her head lolling back, her eyes closed. A trickle of blood ran from her nose, and burn marks were a livid red against her skin. Her lightsaber hung from her belt and Hux reached out, straining to grab it. He pulled it free of her belt and pointed it at the window. With a click of the button, it turned on and sliced through the glass. He cut a wide circle and turned it off before clambering from the wreckage of the bomber.

He stumbled out onto the sand and collapsed onto his back, panting. The sky above was blue and undisturbed by a cloud or a ship. The wreckage around him crackled and sizzled. His chest rose and fell with each breath he took as he reeled from the way his day turned out.

There was a small explosion and he jumped to his feet, eyes wide. Part of the bomber was on fire, burning merrily as he stood. He thought about Rey in there, burning alive in the explosion until nothing was left but ash.

“I could just leave her there,” he said aloud to himself. No one would know. He could say that he was thrown clear of the wreckage, and by the time he woke up, it was nothing but shrapnel and fire. Tragic, for sure, but unavoidable. The First Order would need some time to recover from the loss of their Empress, but Hux would take his inevitable place as its heir apparent.

On the other hand, he thought, balling his fist, she would die. And as much as he disliked what she represented, he had to admit that she was interesting. If Palpatine ever found out that Hux let his granddaughter and the Empress of the First Order die…

“Fuck,” he swore, and trudged through the sand. “Fuck,” he said again as he crawled into the bomber, batting away the flames that threatened to burn him. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” he yelled as he unbuckled Rey from her seat and dragged her out, his hands hooked under her armpits. They tumbled out onto the sand and Hux groaned, glaring at her prone form. 

“You are more trouble than you’re worth,” he said, and her eyelids fluttered open.

“Hux?” she moaned, placing her hand on her forehead. It came away with blood and she stared at it. “What happened?”

“What do you think?” Hux snarled. “The fucking ship crashed!”

“Ship?” Rey said, blinking. The fog cleared from her eyes as she looked at the flaming wreckage. “The ship!” she shouted, pointing at it. “It crashed!”

“I just said that,” Hux muttered.

Rey ignored him. “We have to move,” she said, tugging on his arm. “Now. Right this second.”

“Get your hands off of me,” Hux said, right as the other engine exploded. Rey glared at him and he grimaced. “Yes, yes, all right, very well. Shall we?”

They both ran away from the ship as it exploded for the last time. Pieces of it rained around them, and Hux saw a shadow come over them. He looked up and saw a large part of the wing head towards them. His life flashed before his eyes as he stopped and stared up at it. He waited for the force of the blow and the black nothingness of death, and it stopped a few metres above his head.

Rey gasped, and he looked over at her. She had her hands up before her, holding them straight out from her body, fingers spread as far as they could. The wing shook as it drifted to the side and finally fell, landing right beside Hux. A cloud of sand was kicked up and he coughed, waving it away from his face. Rey collapsed to her knees, shaking, and Hux stared down at her. After a long pause he cleared his throat.

“Took you long enough, didn’t it?”

Rey glared up at him, and bared her teeth. “You’re welcome.”

“You were doing your duty,” he said, but looked to the side and coughed into his hand. “Thank you, Empress. Do you need help standing?”

“I’m fine,” Rey said and got to her feet. She tossed her head and held her hand over her nose. It stopped bleeding, and she moved her hand down to the burns on her arms. They faded, and Hux watched with open fascination.

“The Force can heal?” he asked.

“It can do a lot of things,” Rey said, her expression softening. “Like with everything, there are two sides to the Force. It can kill, and it can heal. Here,” she said, and pressed her hand to his forehead. 

The throbbing pain in his head faded, and he touched the cut. It felt like a year old scar, smooth and painless. His eyes widened and he looked at her, his jaw slack. 

“Yes, I know,” Rey said, and turned away from him. “Come on, Allegiant General. There’s got to be some kind of life on this planet, and where there’s life, there’s water and shelter. Let’s start moving. Unless you want to stand by the ruined ship and wait for rescue?”

“It would be smarter,” Hux said, digging his heels into the sand. He shifted, and he ignored the look on Rey’s face. “I’m sure that Commander Ren, or your knights, or anyone on the Starkiller will come to look for us.”

“Yes,” Rey said, looking up at the sky. “Or we could save ourselves.”

“I vote we stay,” Hux said, sitting on the sand. “Why waste our energy and dehydrate ourselves? The ship crashed here, and someone will find us easier if we stay where we are.”

Rey was about to speak again, a scowl on her face, when there was another explosion. This time, sand erupted upwards as a snake-like creature the size of a cruiser faced them. It darted out its tongue, a bright, vibrant, green, and hissed. The sound was like a screech, and Hux clamped his hands over his ears. It glared at him, inflating its hood, and opened its mouth to reveal large, serrated teeth.

“Run!” Hux shouted, jumping to his feet and turning on his heels.

“Oh, so now it’s okay to run?” Rey asked, the sarcasm dripping from her.

Hux grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him as the creature lunged, missing them by a few feet. She followed, and they both ran along the sand, the creature giving chase.

* * *

Hux hated the desert. He hated the suffocating heat. He hated the way the sand got into his shoes. More than anything, he hated the way the sand got into everything. There was sand in his sleeves, of all places, and he shook them out with exaggerated and aggrieved motions. Each swallow of saliva scratched against his dry throat. He looked to the sky, noting that the sun was, at least, disappearing over the last bit of the horizon.

Rey was ahead of him by several metres, and turned around, her hands on her hips. “Allegiant General,” she said, her voice clipped, “you can’t move so slowly out here. Have you never been in a desert before?”

“It never came up in training, no,” Hux said dryly. He picked up his pace until he was standing beside her. 

She had to tilt her head up to continue glaring at him. He looked down at her and lifted an eyebrow. This small, slender, frail looking woman was the Empress of all of the First Order. Within her was the strength of the Force, and Hux felt a grudging respect for her. After all, she saved his life two times today. All he seemed to be capable of doing was endangering her.

“You never really had to survive, have you?” Rey asked suddenly.

Hux frowned and folded his arms. “I’ve had my own struggles,” he said between clenched teeth.

Rey shook her head. “But you were probably born into the First Order, weren’t you?” she said, pressing the point. “Rose through the ranks, probably on the coattails of your parents, and had everything handed to you on a silver platter.”

Hux barked out a laugh. “Are you talking about me, Empress, or you? What have you done to prove yourself capable of running the military and the space fleet of the First Order? What have you done to prove that you’re not just a spoiled princess who thinks that she deserves to lead just because of who her father is?” He shook his head and turned his back on her. “You have a lot of nerve, accusing me of being soft.”

There was a thump behind him and he turned around again. Rey sat on the sand, and placed her cloak on the ground between them. She ignited her lightsaber and held it above the cloak until it burst into flames. Hux flinched back.

“The desert gets cold at night, Allegiant General,” she said. “The sand loses all of the heat it gathered during the day, when the sun was out, and it becomes as bitter and cold as snow. And most creatures will stay away from flames, especially scavengers.”

“Scavengers,” Hux said, scoffing.

“Scavengers,” Rey said, and pointed to the side.

Hux looked over and saw yellow eyes in the distance, as large as saucers, blinking at them. Something on four legs loped back and forth, staring at them. In the darkness, he could only make out its silhouette, and that was enough to shake him to his core. It was easily the size of an AT-AT Walker. 

Hux inched closer to the fire and sat down. The saucer-like eyes closed and opened again as the creature turned and jogged away. Hux put his hands out and held them above Rey’s burning cloak.

“Where did you learn that?” he asked, watching the flames flicker. 

“While I was being a spoiled Empress,” Rey snapped.

Hux looked up and winced at the fury in her eyes. She looked away a second later, but her stiff posture and clenched jaw said enough. He hunched over the fire and took a moment to gather his thoughts. From the moment she stepped aboard the ship, he and Kylo greeted her with disinterest and disdain. They were polite to her, of course, but the contempt was easy to see. He imagined, for a moment, being in her shoes, and frowned.

“I’ve acted like a fool,” he said, his words awkward and stiff in his mouth. “I’m sorry, Empre - Rey. I fear I haven’t treated you with the dignity and respect that your title warrants.”

The quiet stretched. Hux looked up and was met with Rey’s wide-eyed gaze, something vulnerable and dangerous open and naked for him to see. He looked away again, shifting.

“You called me Rey,” she said, and there was a feeling in her voice that Hux didn’t want to place.

“Do you prefer Empress?” he said, shifting away from the fire, and away from her.

“No,” she said, “I like Rey. No one ever calls me Rey.” She was silent, and then started speaking again, her voice tighter and more controlled. “My grandfather never calls me Rey. It’s the name my parents gave to me, and I guess they had a falling out before I was born. I think they were with the resistance. They died when I was little, and I spent most of my time on Exegol.” She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “Have you ever been to Exegol, Hux?”

Hux stiffened at the use of his last name. “No,” he said, keeping his voice flat. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Supreme Leader Palpatine in person.” His voice took on a bitter edge. “Commander Ren has.”

“I know.” Rey stared at the fire, and the flames reflected back in her eyes. “We trained together. Exegol is a barren planet, where it storms constantly. The ground is cold and the sky starless. It was a Sith planet, once, before they were wiped out at the end of the Empire. I grew up there, under my grandfather’s watchful eye. I studied the Force, and combat, with the help of his followers and clones. Later, I had the knights of Ren to help train me, and I started to learn about other planets through them. And stars.” She rolled her shoulders back. “I’ve been the heir to the Empire for as long as I can remember. Empress Rey Palpatine.”

Hux opened his mouth to speak and stopped; Rey wasn’t looking at him. He wasn’t sure that she even knew he was there anymore.

“And as long as I can remember,” Rey said, her voice just above a whisper, “My grandfather has promised that, when I am of age, I will strike him down, and his spirit will pass into me.”

“Your relationship with your grandfather sounds like the one I had with my father,” Hux said, and clenched his fists so hard small rivers of blood trickled down his palms.

Rey either didn’t notice it, or, if she did, chose not to say anything about it. “You were close to him, weren’t you?”

Hux laughed sourly. “Us? No, he hated me. In the end, I had him killed for his abuse.” He examined the crescent shaped wounds on his palms. “He never thought I could amount to anything. The joke was on him, though. He’s in an unmarked grave, forgotten by the universe, and I’m the Allegiant General of the First Order.”

Her palms fitted over his, and he felt something tickle at the edge of his awareness. The pain dulled, and then vanished. Her hands were slight and cool in his, and, his breath caught in his throat, he held them. Warmth spread through his arms to his chest, and he looked up at her.

At some point she moved closer to him, so that their thighs brushed, and he could see her eyelashes brush against her cheek. There were smudges of soot along her forehead and cheeks, and a scar along her nose from the crash. Hux leaned forward, and was a breath away from kissing her when he stopped and released her hands.

“I apologise, Empress,” he said. “Please, forgive me. I should never have been so inappropriate.”

Rey placed her hands on her lap and looked back into the fire. “Don’t worry about it,” she said, her voice ragged with an emotion that Hux couldn’t - wouldn’t - name. 

He lay down on his side and turned away from her. He stared at the expanse of the desert and listened to the crackling of the flames. He heard Rey shift behind him and settle onto the sand. Words crowded behind his lips and he swallowed them.

“Thank you, Hux,” Rey said, breaking the silence.

“For what?”

Rey said nothing, and Hux drifted off to the sound of her breathing. It was comforting, in its own way, to know that he wasn’t stranded, sunburnt and dehydrated, on his own. There was something about having such a strong Force user to protect him that made him feel safe. It helped that, by working with her to get back, he was saving her life; at least, he could spin it that way. It was sure to get him back into Emperor Palpatine’s good graces.

“For apologising,” Rey whispered, breaking his train of thought. “And for saving me from the wreckage, when you could have just left.”

This time, Hux said nothing, and stared into the night, listening to Rey’s breathing ease to the rhythm of sleep.

* * *

He woke up to the sound of blaster fire hitting the sand by his face, and the feeling of sand raining down on him. He sputtered, jumping to his feet, and looked around wildly. Rey was already standing, her lightsaber drawn and activated, her head whipping from side to side.

“What the fuck?” Hux asked.

“The Rebels we shot down,” Rey said, her jaw tight, as she pointed towards a dune. 

Hux squinted, and swore as blaster fire hit right by his feet. Once the explosion of sand settled, he saw a face peer over the top of the dune. The figure was holding a blaster rifle, and was aiming it at Hux’s chest. He dove out of the way as she fired, and the blaster fire hit right where he was standing. 

“Allegiant General!” Rey said, running to his side. She helped him to his feet and stepped in front of him.

“I hate to break it to you, Empress, but you’re not exactly a good shield,” Hux said, and Rey spared him a wild, frustrated glance before throwing her hand up and stopping the next laser headed their way.

She flung her arm to the side and the laser hit the ground, showering them with sand. A blue light cut through the falling sand as another woman leaped towards them, hands wrapped around the hilt of a lightsaber. Rey raised her own and they clashed with a series of sparks. Hux got out of the way as the two rolled along the ground, locked together, snarling at each other.

A series of blaster shots hit near his feet, forcing him to start running. He looked over his shoulder at the sniper, who was starting to run down the dune, her rifle cocked and pointed at him. He dove, and another shot whizzed over his back.

“Stay still!” the sniper called. “Fucking First Order worm.”

“Stop shooting at me, I’m unarmed!” Hux held up his hands, on his back in the sand.

She stopped above him and trained her rifle on him. “You’re kind of a coward, aren’t you?” she asked, tilting her head. 

A brown jacket several sizes too big rested on her shoulders, and Hux could make out the symbol of the resistance sewn onto the shoulders. The barrel of the rifle pressed against his forehead, right on his new scar. The muzzle of it was still hot, and Hux was reminded of cigars and cold blue eyes.

“I am the Allegiant General of the First Order, Rebel scum,” he proclaimed. “I am not a coward.”

She grinned, her brown eyes, nothing like his father’s, lighting up. “What a lucky day for me, then,” she said. “Poe Dameron. Ace pilot, ace capturer of high ranking First Order worms.”

There was a scream behind them and Poe turned her head. Hux took the chance to jump to his feet and grab her blaster. They fought over it, falling to the sand and rolling, each of them trying to be the one on top. In the flurry of movement, Hux saw Rey fencing with the other Rebel, their lightsabers meeting and parting with such speed that they looked like blurs. The way the Rebel fought nagged at the back of Hux’s head, but he was forced to turn his attention back to Poe, who had wrestled the rifle free and was straddling him, the muzzle of the rifle pressed against his chest.

“Stop fighting,” Poe yelled at Rey, “or I’ll kill him. I swear I will.”

Rey paused, her lightsaber locked with her assailant’s. She looked over at them, her eyes widening, and she lowered her lightsaber. The Rebel did the same, and fished around in her jacket pocket. She brought out rope and motioned with the hilt of her lightsaber.

“Turn around,” she said, holding up the rope. “And drop the lightsaber.”

“Are you all right?” Rey asked, looking over at Hux as her hands were bound behind her back.

“Peachy,” he said. “You should have kept fighting.”

“She was going to kill you,” Rey said, frowning. “You wanted me to just let that happen?”

“Seems like there’s at least one shred of goodness in the First Order, Finn,” Poe said, holding up her hand.

Finn tossed the remaining rope and scowled. “There’s no good to be found,” she said, pulling Rey in front of her by the rope. “Stop making friends with the leader of the First Order, Poe, and tie him up already. We have to be where they’re going to pick us up by sundown tomorrow, or we’re going to get stranded here.”

“Yeah, you big worrier,” Poe said, binding Hux’s wrists together and standing. “Come on, Allegiant whatever you said.” She grinned and held out her hand. “You and your Sith partner are officially prisoners of the Rebellion.”

* * *

“Phew!” Poe collapsed on the ground, wiping the sweat off of her brow. “Finn, buddy, I don’t think I can take another step. It’s so hot!”

They were walking along the top of a dune. Poe was straddling the middle of it, her tan face flushed. The jacket was wrapped around her waist, and her sleeves were pushed up to her elbows. Hux looked over her appearance and wrinkled his nose. She caught him staring and grinned, playing with the buttons of her shirt.

“Never seen a girl sweaty before? Would explain a lot about you,” she said, almost purring.

“Poe,” Finn said, looking over her shoulder, exasperated. “I thought you were too hot to take another step.” Her dark skin glistened in the dying sunlight as sweat dripped down her face onto her neck.

“Jealous?” Poe asked, putting her hands by her side. “I’ve only got eyes for you, Finn. Don’t worry.”

Finn sighed and nodded to Rey. They both sat down and soon Hux followed suit, his eyes guarded. The rifle hung low on Poe’s belt, next to her water skin. Hux licked his lips, realising just how thirsty he was. Poe looked down at the water skin and unhooked it from her belt, holding it to Hux’s lips.

“Here,” she said, her flirtatious tone gone, replaced by a more genuine softness. “Have a sip.”

“Poe,” Finn said, looking up from trying to light a fire. “We don’t have that much left, and we all just had a sip.”

“He’s going to die of thirst before we get him back to General Organa,” Poe said, tilting the water skin forward. A small trickle of water passed between Hux’s lips before Poe pulled it away and sealed it. “Then this will have been for nothing, right?”

Hux swallowed, savouring the rush of moisture that travelled along his mouth and down his throat. The water was hot, and tasted like leather, and Hux could not remember the last time that he enjoyed a drink so much. 

Finn poked at the beginnings of the fire, her expression gloomy. Rey watched from beside her, knees drawn to her chest, before she twitched a finger. The fire burst into fullness, and Finn snatched her hand away.

“No Force!” she said, glaring at Rey.

“Sorry,” Rey said, sounding anything but. “It’s going to get cold soon, and I really don’t like being cold.”

Finn rolled her eyes and turned to Hux. “Do you recognise me?” she asked.

Hux frowned. “Should I?” he said. “I don’t make it a habit of memorising the faces of Rebels.”

“How about the children you abduct to turn into brainwashed soldiers?” Finn said, lifting her eyebrows. “FN-2187 ring any bells for you?”

“FN-2187?” Hux narrowed his eyes. “That sounds like a Stormtrooper designation.”

“It was,” Finn said, and looked down at her feet. “I was a Stormtrooper. One of the finest. Or so Captain Phasma always told me.” Her eyes burned hotter than the fire. “One of the babies you had stolen from their parents, and turned into ruthless, efficient killers loyal only to the First Order.”

Three pairs of brown eyes were locked on him. Hux shifted, looking down at his feet. The silence stretched, and Hux felt his anger mounting. Someone coughed and he snapped his head up, sneering.

“So you escaped and gave yourself a name. Good for you. Would you like a medal? Universe’s most whiny traitor?” he snapped. “I made it a specific point to never know the designations of the Stormtroopers, or any little nicknames you all gave yourselves. You’re not fit to lick the dirt from my boots. You would be nothing without me! You would be-”

He stopped. Finn nodded and stood. Sand fell from her pants as she turned and walked a few metres away, her stiff steps reminiscent of the way Stormtroopers marched through the halls. Poe glared at Hux as she stood and walked over to Finn, placing her hand on the other’s shoulder and whispering.

Rey watched them for a moment before turning to Hux. “Do we really do that?” she asked, and the sadness in her voice hurt more than the realisation that he sounded just like his father.

“We do,” he said, and looked down at the rope around his wrists. “I created the program, with input from Captain Phasma. I’m not sure you met her. It was meant to create a super loyal, brutal military force to defeat any resistance in our path.”

Rey looked over at Poe and Finn. “That poor woman,” she said, and shifted closer to Hux. Their shoulders brushed. “When I’m in charge,” she said, “We’ll stop that. Anyone who wants to join our cause can do so, but we’re not going to kidnap anyone.”

Hux was quiet, and he looked at her. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears as she looked into the fire. He took a deep breath and bumped her shoulder back with his.

“If anyone could, it would be you,” he said.

They were dangerously close to something, and Hux looked away first, his heart pounding. Finn and Poe were headed back over, and though Finn still looked unhappy, she was at least no longer giving Hux death glares. They were about to sit down in front of the fire when the sound of a ship disturbed the night. Hux looked up, eyes wide, as a TIE Silencer blew overhead. Poe took the rifle off of her hip and aimed it upward. Finn brought out her lightsaber, and they stood, a small backdrop against the ship looming ever closer.

“We’re saved,” Hux said, and felt anything but.

The ship landed, and the boarding ramp lowered. Rey stood, and Hux followed, as Kylo Ren stepped out of the ship and down the ramp. Finn and Poe tensed, their backs straight and rigid. Hux looked at Rey and held out his hands. She nodded and closed her eyes. They unwound themselves, and fell to the ground. He reached into his pocket and brought out his knife, and sawed through the rope around her hands.

“Allegiant General, Empress,” Kylo Ren said, ignoring the rifle trained on him, “I’m glad to see that you’re alright.”

“Empress?” Poe said, and looked over at Rey. “As in-”

“Emperor Palpatine’s granddaughter, yes,” Rey said, standing straighter. She lifted her hand and waved it to the side. Both Finn’s lightsaber and Poe’s rifle were yanked out of their grasp and thrown to the side.

“And as such,” Kylo said, drawing their attention, “you should kneel.”

“I’m not going to kneel to the most evil woman in the galaxy,” Finn said, tilting her head back. Her nostrils flared and her legs started to shake.

Poe, next to her, hit the ground and winced. Her knees dug into the sand, and her arms moved behind her back in jerking movements. Finn began to sink down to her knees, each inch a slow progression. Hux looked away from the rage and humiliation on their faces, instead looking to Rey. Her hands were by her side, and she was just as furious as they were.

That meant Kylo was doing it, Hux thought, and looked over at his rival. Kylo’s hand was lowering as Finn fell to her knees. Then both of the Rebels pressed their foreheads against the ground, hands locked behind their back. Kylo’s voice was soft, smooth, and dangerous.

“You will kneel when you are told to kneel,” he said, stepping forward and stopping just at the edge of the boarding ramp. “Empress, please climb aboard the ship. Your grandfather has been worried about you, and he will be pleased to know that you are unharmed.”

“In body, if not in spirit,” Rey said, attempting to smile. Her gaze lingered on the two Rebels, and her smile fell flat. She moved past them, her head bowed, and headed towards Kylo Ren.

Time seemed to slow down. Hux stared at the ship, and at the two Rebels by his feet. Their bodies were shaking, fighting the control of the Force over them. Finn managed to lift her head enough to stare at him, and her eyes were filled with tears. Whether they were tears of rage, or tears of sorrow, didn’t matter to Hux. What did matter was that Rey was walking back towards the ship, and Kylo’s hand was moving towards his lightsaber. 

His helmet was absent, and so Hux could see the triumph on his face. It brought back a feeling of lassitude, and a softly spoken command that drifted from a hidden part of his memory.

_”You’re going to let it go.”_

Hux whirled and ran to the rifle. He grabbed it and pointed it at Rey. “Don’t move,” he barked. 

Rey froze, staring at him with wide, hurt eyes. Hux kept the rifle trained on her and advanced, kicking the legs out from under the Rebels as he did. They collapsed to the sand with muffled protests, which he ignored. He walked until he was next to Kylo, the muzzle of the rifle pointed at Rey’s chest.

“Did you really think I’d let you take all the credit for killing her?” he asked Kylo, sparing him a single glance. “And let you worm your way into Emperor Palpatine’s good graces by yourself? Please.”

Kylo’s expression flickered for a moment before smoothing back into impassivity. “I’ve underestimated your intelligence, Allegiant General,” he said, removing his hand from the hilt of his lightsaber. “You remembered the Force command.”

“I did,” Hux said, and shot him.

The laser hit Kylo’s shoulder and he fell with a roar of pain. Rey sprang into action, her lightsaber drawn, as she charged towards him. The two Rebels, freed of Kylo’s hold by the kick to their legs, joined in the charge. Hux placed his foot on Kylo’s chest and pressed the rifle to his chin.

“Traitor,” Kylo said through gritted teeth, spitting the word as if it was venom.

“Prove it,” Hux said, and tightened his finger around the trigger.

Kylo lifted his hand and then moved it downward in a sudden, forceful gesture. A rumbling froze everyone in their tracks, and then the ground opened beneath them, swallowing them all. They fell down into darkness, and Hux turned towards Rey.

“Rey!” he shouted, reaching out towards her.

She reached out as well, and their fingertips brushed, before he knew nothing but dark.

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Water fell on his face, dragging him from unconsciousness. Hux sat up, holding his hand to his head. It throbbed, and his fingers came away bloody. The rock in front of him swam as he tried to stand, and he fell onto his back again, panting. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, made from black stone. Somewhere, he could hear water rushing, and the dryness of his throat came into startling focus. 

“This is officially the worst day of my life,” he grumbled, trying to stand once more. This time, his legs bore his weight, and though he swayed, he remained on his feet. His eyes were adjusting to the dim lighting of the cave, and he was able to look around and see that he was in a large cavern. A pool of water was to his left and he ran over, shoving his hand into it and drawing huge gulps of water to his lips.

“Didn’t anyone teach you not to drink still water from a cave?”

Hux froze, water trickling through his fingers. He turned his head and saw his father standing a metre away, his arms folded, and a scowl on his face. His father shook his head and took a step closer.

“Really, son. Is this what the Allegiant General of the First Order is reduced to?” He laughed. “You finally do something to make me proud, and you squander it at the first opportunity. All for a pretty girl.” His face twisted with fury. “You’re pathetic.”

“And you’re dead,” Hux said, reaching back into the pool and drawing another handful of water to his mouth. “So who’s the real loser here, father?”

He took a gulp before splashing the rest towards his father. The apparition shimmered and disappeared as the water sailed through it to land on the floor. Hux stared at the wet patch before turning back to the pool. Drops hit the pool, disturbing his reflection, and he lifted his hand to his face.

They were his tears.

“He’s dead,” he said to the cave. “He’s dead, because I had him killed. He can’t hurt me anymore.”

Silence was his answer. Hux drank until he felt like he would burst and then left the pool, grinding his heel into the spot where his father stood. There was a tunnel before him and he walked into it. The wall was cool under his palm as he walked, ducking past stalactites and knocking his knees into stalagmites. At the end of the tunnel was a dim light, and he strode forward, picking up his pace, until he was in another cavern. A river rushed through the middle, dividing it, and Hux stared at the opposite bank.

Another version of himself stood there, hands clasped behind its back, staring at two men. Hux took a step closer, and their voices were suddenly loud and clear, cutting through the sound of raging water.

“Why are you helping us?” one of the men said. He looked like Finn, Hux thought, as the man continued speaking. “When did you decide to want the Resistance to win?”

Hux’s doppelganger sneered. “I don’t care about your pathetic Resistance. I _need_ Kylo Ren to lose.”

The vision faded into another one. His doppelganger was now on the bridge of a cruiser, standing behind another general. He looked scared, but Hux could see the smirk in his eyes. There was a bandage around his thigh, and as Hux watched, the apparition started speaking.

“Allegiant General, they overpowered the guards and forced me to take them to their ship.”

“I see,” the Allegiant General said, and turned to one of the guards. “Get me the Supreme Leader.”

He held out his hand, and the guard passed him a blaster. As Hux watched, transfixed, the Allegiant General turned and shot his doppelganger in the chest.

“We found the spy,” the Allegiant General said, and stepped over the corpse.

The vision faded. Hux stared at the bank for a moment longer before turning around.

Facing him was another version of himself, hands clasped behind its back, a look of disapproval on its face.

“What are you doing?” the other Hux said, shaking its head. “We have everything that we want. We’re winning the war, Kylo Ren is insignificant compared to us, and Supreme Leader Palpatine respects us. We’re the Allegiant General of all the First Order, and in a position to succeed Palpatine. We could be the Supreme Leader. Why are you throwing it all away?”

“Maybe it’s not what I want,” Hux said, and was surprised. The words felt right, as if he was accessing some hidden part of himself, and he nodded once. “It’s not what I want,” he said, his voice stronger. “I don’t want to go down this path anymore.”

“Because you met one former Stormtrooper?” his doppelganger said, and laughed. It was an unpleasant sound. “Rather weak willed, aren’t you? What happened to being willing to do anything to get on Palpatine’s good side?”

“Says the one that just got murdered for betraying the First Order because of a _grudge_ ,” Hux said. He jerked his head towards the opposite bank. “You are everything our father said we are. Pathetic. Weak. Petty.”

“And you’re not?” the apparition said, taking a step forward. It stopped a few inches before Hux, and looked him up and down. “You’re going to give it all up for what? Honour? Compassion? Love?”

It started to change, growing shorter, more slim. It looked like Rey, and smiled at him, walking its fingers up his chest. 

“Is this what you want?” it asked, leaning forward. “To be with your Empress? When you’re the Supreme Leader, you can just take her.” It leaned forward, scanning his face, a breath from his lips. “Just kiss her whenever you like…”

Hux grabbed its shoulders and stopped it before it could move any closer. “That’s not how I want it to be,” he said, and its eyes flashed.

“Fine!” it barked, and pulled itself free of him. “No one will love you, you know,” it said in the voice of his father as it changed, appearing to look like him again, but older. What he could have been. “Not like you are. Traitor.”

“Yeah,” Hux said, grabbing its wrist. “I guess I am.”

He jerked it forward, to the edge of the river, and shoved its face under the water. It thrashed, bubbles streaming from its mouth. Hux tightened his grip in its hair and held on while it struggled. It grew feebler, hitting at him slowly, before it stopped struggling altogether. It faded into the water, leaving Hux alone. He collapsed to his knees and wiped his forehead.

“You’re all right. Thank goodness.”

He turned around and saw Rey at the entrance to another cave tunnel. There was a sling around her arm, holding it to her body, but otherwise she was whole. Hux drank the sight of her in. 

She looked down at her sling and shrugged one shoulder. “I’m too tired,” she mumbled.

Hux got to his feet and walked over to her, sweeping her into his arms. Her eyes widened as he moved close to her face, stopping just before kissing her, looking into her eyes.

“Is it-” he started, and stopped as she kissed him.

Time seemed to slow as they kissed by the river, one of her hands on his shoulder and his on her waist. He pulled away first, and smiled. She smiled back, brushing his bangs out of his face.

“I wanted to do that for a while,” she said, and pressed her forehead against his. “What were you doing, before I came in?”

“Trying to make up for what I’ve done,” Hux said, pulling her closer. “I saw a version of myself, Rey. One that I don’t want to become. He was so bitter, so burned up by his hatred and pettiness, that he died alone, a traitor. He was the man my father used to say I would become, and I don’t want to go down this path anymore.”

“I saw something too,” she whispered. “I saw myself with the two Rebels - with Finn and Poe. We were all hugging each other, and I just felt such peace from it. There was so much love, so much friendship, and I,” she paused and sniffed. “I felt accepted, Hux. I felt like I belonged.” She touched his cheek. “I don’t want to go down my path either.”

Hux kissed her, and she kissed him back, as if it was only the two of them in the entire universe. 

At last, Rey took a step back, a grin on her face. “We should go. Commander Ren fell with us, so his ship should be unguarded. We can take it and go back to the cruiser.” Her grin fell, and she bit her lip.

“We could spy,” Hux said, and she looked up at him with wide eyes. “Think about it. We’re both in great positions of power. We know everything about the First Order’s plans. We can help the Resistance, and take down the First Order from within.”

“You’d do that?”

Hux and Rey spun around, Rey’s hand raised, lightning crackling at her fingertips. Finn was leaning on the wall, a strip of clothing around her forehead, tied off at the side and stained red. Poe was leaning against the other wall, a larger strip of cloth around her upper thigh. They both were pale and shaking, but standing.

“Yes,” Rey said, and lowered her hand. “We would.”

Finn looked between them, her gaze lingering on Hux. “How can I believe you?” she said. “What you two have done - what the whole First Order has done - has hurt so many people. You’ve destroyed so many lives. You took me from my home, and raised me to be a killer.”

“You can’t,” Hux said, shrugging. “But I don’t want to be who I have been anymore. I don’t want to be like my father.”

“I believe it,” Poe said, and reached out to take Rey’s lightsaber off of Finn’s belt. She rolled it towards Rey, who picked it up. “Who would want to be you?”

“It doesn’t erase what you’ve done,” Finn said, glaring at Hux.

“I know,” Hux said, and took Rey’s hand. “But I want to try.”

“How charming.”

A red glow filled the cavern as Kylo Ren stepped in, his lightsaber drawn. The shoulder Hux shot was burned shut, a deep red colour, raw and angry. “Two traitors, and two Rebels,” he said, flicking his gaze from person to person. “It’ll be easy to kill all of you right here, right now.”

Rey and Finn drew their lightsabers and stepped forward. “Just try it,” Rey said, her eyes flashing. “You have never won a duel with me. Ever.”

Kylo waved his hand and Rey flew through the air, slamming against a wall. She fell to the ground in a heap, her lightsaber rolling towards the river.

“If I ever did, Empress,” Kylo said, waving his hand again, sending Finn into another wall, “your grandfather would punish me.” 

“Finn!” Poe screamed, dropping her blaster and running to Finn’s side. “Finn, are you alright? Come on, buddy, talk to me, please.”

Hux began to inch towards the fallen blaster, keeping his eyes on Rey and Kylo.

Kylo walked towards Rey, scraping his lightsaber on the ground as he came closer. She pushed herself up to her hands and knees, and started crawling to her lightsaber. He kicked it away and she stopped, looking up at him. He inched closer, forcing her to backpedal to the wall, and held his lightsaber out towards her chest. He spoke, and Hux reached the blaster.

“Now, if I lose, your grandfather will punish me. I don’t intend to lose.”

A blaster shot whirred over his head and he turned. Hux had Poe’s blaster and was pointing it at Kylo’s chest. They stared at each other. Hux’s teeth were bared, and Kylo’s rage was barely contained. They walked in a circle around each other; Hux kept the blaster on Kylo the entire time.

“Working with the Rebels, Allegiant General?” Kylo said, pointing his lightsaber at Hux. “You’re pathetic. You could have everything, and you’re throwing it all away? For a girl? For two Rebel scum? They are beneath you - beneath us. We are the First Order, and we could rule-”

“Yeah, I already did this,” Hux interrupted and shot Kylo again. 

The laser hit Kylo’s other shoulder, knocking his lightsaber to the ground. It fell into the river, swept away by the raging waters. Kylo roared, kneeling, as Finn, Poe, and Rey lined up next to Hux. Kylo looked at them all and laughed.

“What are you going to do?” he sneered. “Kill me?”

“No,” Hux said, lowering the blaster. “We’re not going to kill you, Kylo. In fact, we’re going back to the cruiser. You, me, and Rey. The Rebels are going to go wherever they need to go. If you agree to that, I won’t tell Supreme Leader Palpatine that you tried to kill Rey and I.”

“Why would I ever agree to that?” Kylo said, lifting both of his eyebrows.

“Because,” Hux said, crouching before him and pointing the rifle muzzle at his chin, “if you don’t, I’m going to call Supreme Leader Palpatine in front of the entire First Order and tell them all about how you tried to kill the Empress and the Allegiant General.”

Kylo’s eyes blazed. “I see.” He stared at Hux before smiling and shaking his head. “I’d rather not, I’m afraid.”

“Hux!” Rey screamed, as something impaled Hux.

His breath left him with explosive force as he looked down. A small, thin, and sharp rock was sticking out of his stomach, covered in his blood. He put his hand on it before falling to his side. The rifle slipped out of his grasp as his vision swam, and he saw Finn leaping towards Kylo, her lightsaber drawn.

The last thing he saw before darkness took him was Rey’s face, worry suffusing her features as she crouched by him and put a hand on the rock in his stomach. He tried to tell her that he loved her, but he fell unconscious, and let his mind drift away.

* * *

Hux’s movements were stiff as he pulled on his jacket. There were a few new medals stuck to it - for heroism, he was told. For saving the Empress from the wreckage and keeping her safe on the planet. Hux’s lips twitched at the irony of it, and he shrugged into it. The still healing wound just below his breastbone was aching, and he placed a hand on it. All of the doctors told him he was lucky - the rock could easily have pierced his heart, or his stomach. 

What he couldn’t tell them was that luck had nothing to do with it. He lowered his hand and straightened his collar. His reflection stared back at him from the mirror; a gaunt, pale, dissatisfied looking young man. He grabbed his uniform’s hat and placed it on his head, adjusting the brim of it to be straight.

There was a knock on the door and Hux brightened. “Enter,” he called, expecting to see Rey.

Instead, Kylo Ren stepped through, his helmet in place. Hux’s smile faded, replaced by thinned lips and a scowl. Kylo looked around as the door shut, making a point of rolling his shoulders. Hux placed his hand on his chest again, lifting his eyebrows.

“You’re a traitor,” Kylo said, his voice level. “I could turn you in right now. You and your Empress would be executed, and nothing would stand in my way of being the heir to the First Order.”

“Nothing but the pesky little issue that you tried to kill the First Order’s Empress and its Allegiant General,” Hux said, turning back to the mirror. “On orders, perhaps, but that would mean Supreme Leader Palpatine would have to admit, in front of the entire First Order, that he ordered you to, and you failed.”

“I could kill you right now,” Kylo said. 

Hux saw the glow of Kylo’s lightsaber, and turned around. “You could,” he said, “and then the message I recorded the moment I was well enough to be released from the medical bay would be played on every computer in every ship that the First Order has deployed. You’d be outed as an assassin and a murderer. Supreme Leader Palpatine can’t protect you at all times.”

Kylo was silent, and at last deactivated his lightsaber. Hux nodded and gestured.

“Now,” he said, “please leave. I am expecting someone, before the coronation.”

Kylo turned on his heel and stalked out, bumping shoulders with Rey as he went. She looked back at him as she walked into the room. Hux took in her long, flowing black dress, with its lacey sleeves and the high necked collar. Rey made a face and smoothed her hands along the skirt.

“I know,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “It’s nothing like me. But my grandfather insisted I wear it. I’m a Sith Empress, after all.”

“For now,” Hux said, lifting her hands to his lips. 

She cracked a smile at that, and cupped his cheeks. “We’ll take it down. The entire First Order. Together.”

“Together,” Hux agreed, and squeezed her hands. “Now, Empress, let’s see you crowned.”

She nodded and Hux released her hands, following her to the crowds chanting her name, their pact hanging between them.


End file.
